Tough DS Gmatprep Question

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Tough DS Gmatprep Question

by faraz_jeddah » Mon Sep 23, 2013 9:27 am
Quick Sell Outlet sold a total for 40 televisions, each of which was either a Model P TV or A Model Q TV. Each Model P sold for $p and each model Q sold for $q. The average selling price of the 40 televisions was $141. How many of the 40 televisions were Model P Televisions?

1 - Model P sold for $30 less than the Model Q Televisions
2 - Either p = 120 or q = 120.

OA after some good replies.
A good question also deserves a Thanks.

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by GMATGuruNY » Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:49 am
faraz_jeddah wrote:Quick Sell Outlet sold a total of 40 televisions, each of which was either a Model P TV or A Model Q TV. Each Model P sold for $p and each model Q sold for $q. The average selling price of the 40 televisions was $141. How many of the 40 televisions were Model P Televisions?

1 - Model P sold for $30 less than the Model Q Televisions
2 - Either p = 120 or q = 120.
Total revenue for all 40 televisions = 40*141 = 5640.
Since the average price = 141, one price must be LESS than 141, while the other price must be GREATER than 141.
(Unless p=q=141, which is highly unlikely.)

Statement 1: Model P sold for $30 less than Model Q.
Thus, p< 141, while q>141.
Check the ONLY case that also satisfies statement 2:

Case 1: p=120 and q=150.
To evaluate this case, use ALLIGATION -- a very efficient way to handle MIXTURE PROBLEMS.

Step 1: Plot the 3 prices on a number line, with the prices for the two models on the ends and the average price in the middle.
P 120-------------141------------150 Q

Step 2: Calculate the distances between the prices.
P 120-----21------141-----9------150 Q

Step 3: Determine the ratio in the mixture.
The required ratio of Model P televisions to Model Q televisions is equal to the RECIPROCAL of the distances in red.
P:Q = 9:21 = 3:7 = 12:28.
Thus, if 12 Model P televisions are sold for $120 each, and 28 Model Q televisions are sold for $150 each -- for a total of 40 televisions -- the total revenue will be $5640:
(12*120) + (28*150) = 5640.

Case 2: Reverse the distances from Case 1 and plot the new prices for P and Q on the ends of the number line
P 132-----9------141-----21------162 Q

In this case, P:Q = 21:9 = 7:3 = 28:12.
Thus, if 28 Model P televisions are sold for $132 each, and 12 Model Q televisions are sold for $162 each -- for a total of 40 televisions, with a price difference of $30 between the 2 models -- the total revenue will still be $5640:
(28*132) + (12*162) = 5640.

Since both cases are possible, INSUFFICIENT.

Statement 2: Either p = 120 or q = 120.
Case 1 also satisfies statement 2.

Case 3: If p and q swap positions on the number line in Case 1 -- so that q=120 and p=150 -- the result will be that 12 Model Q televisions are sold for $120 each, while 28 Model P televisions are sold for $150 each.

Since both cases are possible, INSUFFICIENT.

Statements combined:
Only Case 1 satisfies both statements, implying that 12 Model P televisions are sold for $120 each.
SUFFICIENT.

The correct answer is C.

For two similar problems, check here:

https://www.beatthegmat.com/ratios-fract ... 15365.html
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by Mike@Magoosh » Mon Sep 23, 2013 10:49 am
faraz_jeddah wrote:Quick Sell Outlet sold a total for 40 televisions, each of which was either a Model P TV or A Model Q TV. Each Model P sold for $p and each model Q sold for $q. The average selling price of the 40 televisions was $141. How many of the 40 televisions were Model P Televisions?

1 - Model P sold for $30 less than the Model Q Televisions
2 - Either p = 120 or q = 120.

OA after some good replies.
I'm happy to respond. :-)

First of all, there's a idiom mistake in the question ----
Quick Sell Outlet sold a total for 40 televisions
This should be:
Quick Sell Outlet sold a total of 40 televisions

Now, for the math:
Statement #1: Model P sold for $30 less than the Model Q Televisions
Well, this could be a 29 model P's at $140 and one model Q at $170, or it could be one model Q at $112 and 29 model Q's at $142. Exact numbers can't be determined. This statement, alone and by itself, is insufficient.

Statement #2:Either p = 120 or q = 120.
This statement, by itself, leaves open a panoply of possibilities. Exact numbers can't be determined. This statement, alone and by itself, is insufficient.

Combined
Very interesting ----
If p = $120, then q = $150. That could work.
If q = $120, then p = $90, and it would be impossible to have an average of $141, so this can't be the case. We know it must be that p = $120 and q = $150. since we know exact values of the two prices, we can solve for how many P models. This allows us to determine the answer. Together, the statements are sufficient.

Answer = [spoiler](C)[/spoiler]

Does all this make sense?
Mike :-)
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by faraz_jeddah » Mon Sep 23, 2013 12:03 pm
Thanks Experts!

OA is indeed C
A good question also deserves a Thanks.

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by GMATGuruNY » Mon Sep 23, 2013 1:52 pm
A deeper exploration of statement 1:

Quick Sell Outlet sold a total of 40 televisions.
The average selling price of the 40 televisions was $141, implying that the total revenue = 40*141 = 5640.
Model P sold for $30 less than Model Q.


Here is how to satisfy all of these constraints with ALLIGATION.
The DIFFERENCE between the two prices must be 30.
When the ratio of the distances on the number line is reduced AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE -- to x:y -- we must be able to multiply x and y by the SAME INTEGRAL FACTOR so that a sum of 40 is yielded (since a total of 40 televisions are sold).

Other viable cases:

P 126------15-------141------15------156 Q
P:Q = 15:15 = 1:1 = 20:20.
Thus, if 20 Model P televisions are sold for $126 each, and 20 Model Q televisions are sold for $156 each -- for a total of 40 televisions, with a difference of $30 between the two prices -- the total revenue will be $5640:
(20*126) + (20*156) = 5640.

P 129------12-------141------18------159 Q
P:Q = 18:12= 3:2 = 24:16.
Thus, if 24 Model P televisions are sold for $129 each, and 16 Model Q televisions are sold for $159 each -- for a total of 40 televisions, with a difference of $30 between the two prices -- the total revenue will be $5640:
(24*129) + (16*159) = 5640.

P 123------18-------141------12------153 Q
P:Q = 12:18 = 2:3 = 16:24.
Thus, if 16 Model P televisions are sold for $123 each, and 24 Model Q televisions are sold for $153 each -- for a total of 40 televisions, with a difference of $30 between the two prices -- the total revenue will be $5640:
(16*123) + (24*153) = 5640.

If we understand how the different cases can be derived, we can see quickly -- with little or no work -- that statement 1 is INSUFFICIENT.
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by Resp007 » Wed Nov 27, 2013 11:54 pm
Another Approach:

Given:
P + Q = 40.....(1)
pP + qQ = 141 x 40 = some integer = K (say).... (2)

what is P?

Statement 1: p + 30 = q.
Therefore, p is smaller and q is larger and they sell in a certain ratio to make selling average as 141.
Convert the (2) into P and p with the help of eqn 1 and p + 30 = q,
we get:
40p - 30P = K hence insufficient.

Statement 2: either p or q is 120. This statement is insufficient in itself for many reasons, one simple enough is: Since eqn 1 and 2 are symmetrical so even if we can find from p = 120 that P = 10 and Q = 30, these P and Q's values will be reversed when we put q = 120. So Insufficient.

St 1 and 2 together:
Since form statement 1 we have 40p - 30P = K. If p=120 we get P as asked.
Also q cant be 120 as stated in statement 2 since in statement 1 we have p + 30 = q and as average is 141.
Thus OA C

What do you think the level of this question?
I got this as 14th question right after I did one wrong.

Thanks